Brr cold!! Your a little colder than us, we have 16, but kids have yet another snow day. Been nasty here. Enjoy your beautiful sunshine while you can.

It was a beautiful night

I'm still enjoying your comment about the snow making the mountain like a tomboy showing up in an evening gown. Keep waxing poetic. Would love to know which poets you're reading.

The photos are indeed lovely.

Yes, the tarp is on the shelter. A new privy was erected last year at the shelter. There is an open privy at the lodge also.

Not any at the Lodge, they took the top off of the water pipe there. Not sure about the shelter though.

No, I don’t believe that you will be heading toward the real world, but away from it.

AMEN!!

I see that a commwent or two was posted by "Raz Theo" in which he stated that someone, who "knew who they were"....was trying to "take over JP's domain ! I thought that the ugliness and spite had passed here, but it appears that it lingers on....and whoever "###" is mirrored those comments. Isn't this a site for readers to post comments on !? Is there a limit on comments listed somewhere ? JP does an excellent job and deserves all the commendation he receives, but I fail to see anyone trying to take over his domain ! You two who posted those derogatory remarks should get off your self-appointed and self-important podiums !! What's your problem ? Everyone has the right to post their thoughts andf comments here, within decent guidelines of course, and I fail to see where anyone has even slightly attempted to ursurp JP's duties. Whether someone write only a few short words or a longer message, who does that offend, except you two !? I like any comments posted by the readers here, except yours !

WRITE!!

I will be hiking Mt. LeConte this weekend. Can you go up the Boulv. Trail? What about other trails?

JP, your photos are wonderful! Do you dye the sky blue before posting? Lol, it seems our sky in the northeast is a 'smoggy blue' nowadays, even our night sky is seldom dark enough to see the stars. The view from that cabin's porch, just to sit and watch the sky, would be worth the hike.

I'm wondering if there are flying squirrels on your mountain top? I'm noticing the cabin's siding seem to have those telltale worn scrapes along the top and near the window, the same as our woodsy cabin had when we bought it years ago. We kept hearing what sounded like snowballs being thrown at us at dawn, finally discovered a couple of flying squirrels in the attic. You might want to bang on the outside wall and see if anyone pokes their head out, they're cute little critters.

My best advice:

Always have plenty of layers with you. I can give you. You never know when the weather will turn on that mountain. A good waterproof, breathable hard-shell jacket and pants should always be in your pack. Start with a synthetic long sleeve base-layer, then fleece jackets or vests are always nice. (Stay away from cotton fabric, of course.)

Nylon pants with a light layer underneath if it's really cold are essential. Fleece pants are good, also. Remember to take into account that it can be between 15-20 degrees cooler at the top that it is in the valley. When I hike up November, it was around 35 degrees when I began and a little cooler than that when I arrived at the top. I had a pair of nylon pants with a lining and felt comfortable most of the day. Half way down, they were getting a bit warm because it was well into the 50's and sunny below. (Warmer legs don't bother me quite as much as too many layers on the torso, though.)

One good rule to remember as you start the ascent: If you feel comfortable, you're over dressed. You want to feel a little chilly as you begin your hike.

Always take Microspikes this time of year, you may think you are ok without them at lower elevations, but as you climb, weather can change, temperatures will drop and ice forms quickly.

JP I have been enjoying your photographs for some time. Thank your for sharing them truly wonderful. I have been blessed with 3 trips to the your wonderful park since September and headed that way from Indiana again in just a short while. Will be hiking up to Mt. Leconte as a day hike on the second will have to stop by and say hello. Will bring a token of appreciation for the post and photographs.

Elisabeth, the following website actually rates the difficulty of the trails as well as the length in miles and elevation gain....

http://www.hikinginthesmokys.com/location.htm

I wouldn't suggest the Boulevard trail in the winter. It's a common misconception that the elevation gain is only a thousand feet, as you go up and down several thousand feet just to climb that thousand feet, and it's also the longest trail (8 miles each way) making it difficult to finish in the limited daylight of winter. You do want to make sure you have enough time to spend at the top of the Mountain!

From everything JP's said recently, Alum or Rainbow Falls would be your two best bets. The Hiking in the Smokys website does give great trail descriptions; also, stop by one of the many park visitors centers (the official ones, not the tourist trap ones selling discount tickets) and buy the book Hiking Trails of the Smokies. It's an orange-covered book that is considered the hiking bible of the Smokies, as it gives detailed (and recently updated) expanations of each trail. In my opinion, Boulevard's best done in the Summer when daylight isn't as crucial of a concern.

Elisabeth...just a sidebar here...I've seen plently of people running up LeConte...it amazes me, as it's challenging just to HIKE LeConte! I'm sure it's a great workout. I would be worried about my footing and all at the higher elevations because of all of the foot traffic on trails like Alum Cave. But even moreso, you miss the beauty of the hike when you're moving through at such a brisk pace!

Hey Keith, I sure wasn't trying to rain on your parade as you say; If I offended you then I apologize, I just speak what I'm thinking about particular subjects. In fact, I would love to see that they had proven the existence of Bigfoot ! It certainly would be big news. Dave: thanks for your information regarding the wild hogs; I simply hadn't kept up with that species in recent years; yes, they've been a problem in the Park. I read occasionally where people ask what's the best route up to the lodge; well, that is always a difficult question to answer I think and everyone has their opinions, including me. I prefer to simply take a different trail up each time I go; I think Iike the Trillium trail the best, but, and I think many will agree, Alum sure has, for me, the most spectacular views. None is any easier than any other. Hey Norman, I was 82nd Airborne myself, way back in the day ! I am probably quite a lot older than you, too. JP: Before I forget and it gets close to opening day for the lodge I want to thank you for your photos, your comments, advice, and insights. I don't know how the management chooses the winter caretaker, which I think would be a great temporary job, if only once, but I, too, hope that you come back next winter. Perhaps it's not in your plans, I don't know, but I'm certain tht whatever you do will be an interesting endeavor. Your messages have always been positive and heart warming. with great feeling obviously. I regret that somehow I've missed meeting you on my hikes up the mountain; our paths just haven't crossed. You've done a very good job running thios blog site and I appreciate the opportunity to post my comments, and as you may know, brevity is not one of my virtues ! I write what I think and feel, and above all I have great love for the lodge experience. Have a good afternoon up there ! G'day.

Hey norman, I was born in 1963. : )

Doug Y, I was just having a bunch of fun with you, but I am a long time believer. If anyone sees one, I hope it will be me. Your writing are great, as are 99.9% of the great folks on here. This is a happy place, as is the lodge, keep up the good work! Also we are campers and visit Cades Cove as often as we can, but I recently showed my wife the latest Bigfoot video outside a tent and got in trouble, I have to record the show and watch it in the middle of the night. If she finds out rumors about sightings at Mt Leconte she may cut off my unlimited wine when we are there. If I find him first, I'll name him Doug Jr.

Observations;
1) We are all LeConte fans, almost over the top.
2) When JP briefly went away, during the gap, Tony GA did a fine job of pulling us together and we passed the time with each other. All good.
3) The winter caretakers have brought a heightened sense of. . .spirituality?. . .to LeConte through their extraordinary pictures and passages.
4) As a consequence of 2) I feel like we are having a chat in the back of a yoga class. . .or church. JP's back and the pictures and considerations are awesome. How about that.
5) Another insight that I believe came from Tony GA during the gap was that if we don't like something, don't comment. Debates sort of spoil the feel of all of this. So, if you don't like my drift, the notion of celebrating the pictures and prose, no need to comment, I'll figure it out. Same thing if you agree, Let's look to the pictures and see where that takes us.

doug y, seeing you were in the hills of Kentucky....just what was in that "water" jug?

Tony Ga: Well, I grew up having a lot of sore throats, tonsilitis, and strep throat, and my mother quite often gave me a mixture of 50% honey and 50% moonshine as an old home remedy which seemed to alleviate my symptoms; Other than that remedy, there was no alcohol in our home. But I can drink that 'shine like water, IF I so choose, but I don't, although to this day I keep a quart or two of that remedy available; I just very seldom have a need for it. I even made a batch of it myself once and it was pretty good stuff. These days I much prefer a good red wine, although I'm no expert on it. When I thought I saw a Bigfoot that evening I wish I had had some "white lightning" in my water jug ! And, if you have any pure stuff, and your lawn mower is hard to start in the spring, just add a tablespoon of moonshine to the gas mixture and it'll fire right up !

Your cracking me up!! You can feel that stuff all the way down to your toes and then some.